<i>Man killed just after denial of cop help </i>
Armed "land grabbers" murdered a man, who just about one and half hours before the attack was denied police protection, in broad daylight in Haragram area of the metropolitan city Tuesday.
The assailants stabbed and beat up Abdul Kuddus, 46, a retail businessman, with sharp weapons and iron rods inside his house Tuesday noon. He succumbed to his wounds at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital around 6:00pm.
A gang of 7-8 armed people, who earlier issued a death threat to Kuddus, stormed his house around 12:00pm, said police, the victim's family members, and witnesses.
Sensing presence of the murderers, Kuddus and his brother Abu Bakar Siddik ran to Rajpara Police Station, some 50 yards off their house, and begged security directly from the officer-in-charge.
The OC, however, refused to give any protection, reasoning that providing personal security is not possible for police and said police would visit them the next morning (yesterday), according to Siddik.
As the two brothers being denied security returned home around 1:30pm, the armed people, who were still waiting near their house, swooped on them at the gate.
Some five other members of the victim's family including Siddik, his wife Merina Begum, Kuddus' wife Nazma Begum received wounds while trying to save him.
Nazma said none of the neighbours dared to come forward for saving Kuddus as the gang leaders were known in the locality as "ferocious land grabbers".
Siddik said Ekramul Hossain and his relative Liton, well known as land grabbers, suddenly arrived at their house months ago and asked them to leave it.
The land grabbers claimed that Kuddus' father Naser Ali sold the land before his death years ago, said Siddik.
On Monday, the grabbers threatened Kuddus and Siddik of murder unless they leave the house within three days.
Kuddus and Siddik went to Rajpara Police Station to file a General Diary (GD) Monday afternoon, but police did not record it, OC Mokarram Hossain admitted.
In a sharp contrast, police recorded a GD filed by Ekramul complaining that Kuddus was illegally occupying his (Ekramul's) land.
Hearing Kuddus' murder, police visited the victim's house.
Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner M Obaidullah said Assistant Commissioner (Boalia zone) Shariful Islam was directed to investigate the allegations of police negligence.
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